Vouvray Perruches 2002 – Domaine du Clos Naudin, Philippe Foreau – Alc. 13% - (€20 for 2007), made from Chenin blanc. (AFAIK the Perruches labelling is only used for the Belgian market; elsewhere the same wine is simply labelled Demi-Sec.)
C: Medium yellow
N: Wonderfully expressive with notes of white fruit (a lot of pineapple), quince, apples and pears, almonds and minerals.
P: Medium bodied, linear and long, perfectly balanced and focused, mouth-watering acidity offsetting discreet sweetness with a gentle crescendo to a firm finish with all the aromatic elements in perfect seamless harmony with just a little apple and pear pie coming out on the aftertaste. I guess that this wine easily has another 20 years ahead of it and will reveal greater complexities; already 17.5/20+++ QPR.
Question: Much as I love a lot of “sec” from Huet, Foreau and Chidaine, this bottle makes me wonder whether Vouvray (like Mosel) does not need some residual sugar for perfect balance. What do others think?
There are some more nuanced arguments as to why this is so, but I personally think (in general) demisec simply achieves better balance than sec. And, as for moelleux, well… I just like sugar.
From what I understand, more than a few people think the demi-sec is the best representation of vouvray. While I am a sec lover, I am not sure that I disagree with this analysis, especially when it is aged. I have only had relatively few aged Vouvrays, and I found the demis more interesting.
I am not sure what sec and demi-sec means. But, as part of the Loire week I ordered and drank a Huet 2002 Petillant that was a sparkling Vouvray. There were not many bubbles and it tasted oxidized, no fruit or yeasty flavors and nothing like the tasting notes on the website I ordered from. The cork was bulging around the wire closure and looked to have a little mold on it, not sure if that anything to do with the lack of lively flavors.
Amazing what a google search can yield. I found that the Petillant style is lower pressure which would explain the lack of explosion on opening and fewer bubbles. And, there is no mention of sec in the wines name or descriptor but it definitely did not taste like any sugar was added. Now my interest is peaked and I will be on the look out for demi sec and moelleux Vouvray, as I too like sugar.
Count me as one that thinks Demi-Sec is the best expression of Chenin-Blanc, followed by the sweet stuff. I find secs can often be a bit too severe and the wine really needs a little sugar to balance out that huge acid backbone.
Brad, isn’t there also a line of thought that demi-sec is also the most natural expression of the grape, in that if the wines were fermented in a relatively non-interventionist manner, they would end fermentation in the range typically thought of as demi-sec?
I’d also express a preference for demi-sec, but with moelleux and sec right behind them. And of course for some uses I’d prefer a sec or a moelleux. But I’ll buy more demi-sec than either of the other two.
Regarding the 2002 Huet Petillant there have been a number of reports that the second shipment is not showing as well as the first did. I may open them side by side next week to test that assertion.
But, as part of the Loire week I ordered and drank a Huet 2002 Petillant that was a sparkling Vouvray. There were not many bubbles and it tasted oxidized, no fruit or yeasty flavors and nothing like the tasting notes on the website I ordered from. The cork was bulging around the wire closure and looked to have a little mold on it, not sure if that anything to do with the lack of lively flavors.